The era of William F. Buckley long ago vanished from the conservative landscape. Republicans no longer welcoming deep thinkers who can strut their intellectual stuff by challenging the status quo. Go along, or move along little doggies. So, so long David Frum.
The only thing left from the intellectual high bar of Buckley’s musings is the no-ism. Mr. Buckley long ago nailed what conservatism is all about. Conservatives are defined by what they’re against. That’s the fight they always wage. Against government. Against taxes. Against women’s right to self-determination. … and on and on.. Now they’re against Obamacare.
Without the intellectuals signing on, however, Republicans have become more and more dependent on their base, which now extends to the farthest tilt of the right.
In fact, the GOP is so desperate they finally began to reach out to women in 2008. It’s one reason why Sarah Palin’s pick for vice president in the aftermath of Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential bid should have been expected. Matthew Continetti explains this in his book “The Persecution of Sarah Palin: How the Media Tried to Bring Down a Rising Star,” which if you can get over the overwrought title has some interesting admissions.
“If you were looking to disrupt the election narrative as Team McCain was, and were also interested in reaching out to a group the GOP normally doesn’t pay much attention to (women), then picking Palin wasn’t an absurd course of action at all. Quite the opposite. The ranks of conservative women are relatively thin, and the ranks of pro-life conservative women with executive experience are even thinner. …” – Matthew Continetti – “The Persecution of Sarah Palin: How the Media Tried to Bring Down a Rising Star,” (p. 39)
There was nothing that appealed to the right-wing base and a new set of donors more than Mrs. Palin. She was a right-wing, gun toting governor with sex appeal at a time when John McCain had lost Bubba. In her latest reincarnation, it hardly matters if Palin runs for president in 2012, as she’s as visible as ever after inking her rumored stunning $1 million an episode reality show for TLC. Sarah Palin the very definition of donor power.
With Palin and Huckabee so close in recent polls, chasing Mitt Romney, it makes the closeness of Obamacare-Romneycare even more dangerous for Mitt. But none of these three candidates are conservative icon material in the vein of William F. Buckley. Of course, the evangelical base is likely thrilled with Palin and Huckabee, even if businessman Romney has more reach, or at least he did until Romneycare went national with Pres. Obama’s plan.
However, this is what Buckley’s conservatism has come to at this point in Tea Party time.
It now includes being against David Frum-ism, which evidently includes ignoring that under Nixon Republicans looked to do their own health care reform, which is basically what Obamacare is today.
Couple this reality with the fact that Rush, Sean and the right-wing radio crew don’t like the Republican intelligentsia. So imagine their delight when American Enterprise Institute canned David Frum. Rush has been wailing on radio since the health care bill passed that Republicans can run on repealing Obamacare, but “they’d better mean it,” never mind that there is no real practical way to actually do it.
From Mike Allen we get Frum’s two cents on institutional reality in the era of Tea Party venom:
EXCLUSIVE: David Frum told us last night that he believes his axing from his $100,000-a-year “resident scholar” gig at the conservative American Enterprise Institute was related to DONOR PRESSURE following his viral blog post arguing Republicans had suffered a devastating, generational “Waterloo” in their loss to President Obama on health reform. “There’s a lot about the story I don’t really understand,” Frum said from his iPhone. “But the core of the story is the kind of economic pressure that intellectual conservatives are under. AEI represents the best of the conservative world. [AEI President] Arthur Brooks is a brilliant man, and his books are fantastic. But the elite isn’t leading anymore. It’s trapped. Partly because of the desperate economic situation in the country, what were once the leading institutions of conservatism are constrained. I think Arthur took no pleasure in this. I think he was embarrassed. I think he would have avoided it if he possibly could, but he couldn’t.”
It may have taken twenty years, the death of the conservative philosopher William F. Buckley, as well as the rise of an African American president, but right-wing radio has finally metastasized into its own grass-roots movement.
Intellectuals, thinkers, and policy gurus need not apply. The sunny side of Reaganism, the fantasy once hailed has historic, has left the landscape.
Great post Taylor–It was worth not going back to bed. I loved listening to William Buckley. I didn’t agree with him 99& of the time but he certainly knew how to make an argument sound intelligent which those debating him could respond to intelligently. The problem with the talking heads on the right is that they aren’t making intelligent arguments for today’s issues. It’s become a mantra to say “no” to all things presented by the Democrats if you want to keep your viewership. There’s no way anyone with an ounce of brains can respond because the only answers they get are screams from the talking heads.
Thanks JA, glad it was worth it.
Politics is very interesting right now, but there’s a cataclysmic identity crisis on the right.
However, even with Pres. Obama having a good week (see in the news on Russia START news), I’m not sensing a lot of excitement for Dems.
It’s jobs, jobs, jobs Taylor. Maybe if this Congress makes some big strides, things that people can see, excitement for Dems might come back. The Right needs some extreme psychotherapy. The Dems need some spine.
“I’m not sensing a lot of excitement for Dems.”
Perhaps because Dems and Liberals don’t see winning as the end all be all where politics is concerned. repugnantklaners and now their twisted sister teabaggers see WINNING as the end all be all, at ANY cost goal. That they have NO idea what to do once they have actually won is immatirial. JUST WIN!
Dems actually want to DO things and the last years has burned alot of bridges.
No excitement for progressives and liberal Democrats might stem from the notion that this health care law appears a hulking version of Medicare Part D and that there appears no public option and the medicare drug benefit fix appears a farce and a loophole that big pharma can drive a big truck through.
The drug companies and the health insurance companies will get huge profits funneled by the government from poor and middle class people to them.
I will not vote for any representative, senator or president until they create a good prescription drug benefit in part B and create a public option.
I would suggest people send half dollars or silver dollars as monthly premiums to their health insurance companies and put a note in the package that until they give us a fix to the drug benefit and give us a strong public option you will keep sending your premiums as coins.
Thanks for the great piece and the link to Mike Allen’s piece. Joe would not let him get a word in edgewise this morning because what Frum is saying does not fit Joe’s chosen narrative.
It is a great pity that reasonable conservatives like Frum are being drowned out by the rabble. I would like to think that it will only hurt the repubs. I don’t know though with the dumbing down of our populace and the stupid false equivocality given to each side by the lazy,complacent MSM, who knows?
I bet Buckley is spinning in his grave; first his son gets fired from the magazine he founded for being a traitor and now conservative intellectuals are being snuffed out of the conversation.Like Jane I used to really enjoy Firing Line and the civility Buckley brought to the arguments.
LL – do you really thing it’s the dumbing down of America or that the voices of the intelligentsia are being drowned out by the right and the lazy, complacent MSM likes it like that? I know so many people who just find the MSM and what passes for political commentary reprehensible. You know we really do need more people like Taylor who can take a particular argument and run with it in an intelligent way on the MSM. I’m not totally thrilled with what passes as liberal commentators. I honestly don’t want to be entertained when we’re talking about what happening in this country or the world. There are serious issues out there. I want good sound arguments for why a person believes what they believe. And sound bites don’t do it for me.
You make a really good point Jane and I agree with you. What passes for left wing talk is just as inane as the right.
Well, I think it is some of both. Yes, the MSM has gone corporate, what with all the consolidation of media ownership. Which suits the Right just fine. The repeal of the Fairness Doctrine means that the other side doesn’t have to get heard.
Of course that also means, that the right wing no longer has to have its positions tested by the other side’s arguments. So it is free to argue stupidly.
OTOH I would would wager there IS real dumbing down too. The craft of journalism is dying, the facts are hard to get at unless you dig for them (serious TV news on foreign affairs got so scarce I quit watching, I get my news from print and the Net), and so, less people know the facts about anything in particular. And of those who do, fewer get exposed to serious debate about their significance. Add to that a sound bite society of people without patience to sink their teeth into an argument, wrestle with any concept that takes more than 10 seconds of their attention. Who could do that when you have to drive, text, and talk to the other passenger in your car at the same time….
Is the next generation going to be a bunch of dimwits who only know how to speak in sound bites and write text messages? Yow!!!
Well, now, I’ve seen it all. David Frum portrayed as the moderate conservative–Buckley-esque, no less–victim of right wing extremism.
That’s one for the books, Taylor.
Yes, we have the Chinese curse–or is that blessing–upon us; we live in interesting times. Interesting times indeed.
And, speaking of right-wingers, here’s a guy who’s pretty extreme, but he’s issued a challenge that is worth reading, and he’s offering to donate $10,000 to the United Negro College Fund.
http://biggovernment.com/abreitbart/2010/03/25/2010-a-race-odyssey-disproving-a-negative-for-cash-prizes-or-how-the-civil-rights-movement-jumped-the-shark/
Noogan, I agree with you — when Frum is perceived as a moderate, alligators must be doing the limbo. The guy is a neo-con. It does show just how far gone the rest of those folks are.
I see you are still pushing your “pet peeve”. Now its Breibart vs Lewis?
Oh Puhleeze!!!!!!
I’ll add my thanks for this post. I think it’s very much on target. I also think Obama and other Dem Elites are very much aware of this, and that the “bipartisan” fixation is less than what they say. Or maybe, it’s more than what they say. Whatever, the national / political move to the right is the context for all of this.
Joyce – I’m finding that people are very confused in addition to being angry (especially about the bank bailout) about what is going on in this country. Many of my friends were disgusted with the amount of time it took to pass health care. They wanted more to be done and it seems health care just took so much time that other things have been drowned out or put on the back burner. I guess if I were the Dems in Congress I’d be putting together legislation that has bite to it and can be seen positively by the American people.
And I really do hope Obama et al have forgotten about bipartisanship when it comes to passing the heavy stuff. Not one Republican Senator voted for the health care bill. That says something to me. This is just my opinion but the way I see things.
If you have the time Jane go over and view the Perlstein video I posted I think you will find it interesting.
LL – I started to view it; sounds very interesting. I have to watch the rest at home where I have speakers that work right.
Yeah, frick that “bi-partisanship” shite; we don’t need no stinkin’ bi-partisanship! We’re in charge! In fact, we are SO in charge, that we’re going to punish all of you who don’t do what we say! Yeah. We’re gonna get ya if you voted no. So you Democrats who didn’t “stand with us” are gonna pay–big-time.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34984.html
Bruce Bartlett, a conservative I do admire [unlike David Frum who co-authored a book with Perle advocating the invasion of Iraq, which is a WAR CRIME] was likewise fired by AEI. He comments on the right:
Group-think that would make Stalin Proud…
http://capitalgainsandgames.com/blog/bruce-bartlett/1601/groupthink-right-would-make-stalin-proud
But I would like to add a caveat to Bartlett’s own dismay with his right-wing colleagues; the group-think on the left is just as bad.
“Rigid conformity is being enforced, no dissent is allowed, and the conservative brain will slowly shrivel into dementia if it hasn’t already.”
That is one rough line for a conservative to write. I know what you mean by group think. I think it’s dangerous no matter what side you’re on.
I like Bartlett too. I guess it does sound crazy to call a neocon moderate. I think that is only an indication of the depth ignorance that is on full display now with the right wing fringe. Someone who can string cogent thoughts together in a reasoned argument passes for moderate.
Noogan~ You cannot have bi-partisanship with a group that has gone into unhinged territory and is being ruled by propagandists with their own aganda that has nothing to do with what is good for the country.It has to do with ratings and book sales.
Really when you think about it they are all spineless on both sides the Repugs just maintain more party discipline because falling in line is in their DNA
Has it occurred to anyone that moderate conservatives don’t need to worry they can comfortably become Obamadems?
LL – you are so funny.
Yep, it’s occurred to me, LL. Which is what that general shift to the right is all about.
I think the Republicans just became so god aweful that they just took over our party.These neoprogressives are just moderate Repubs.I put many so called progressive bloggers in that category like Josh Marshall at TPM and what’s his name at the daily Koz.
So where are the real honest to goodness Democrats? I don’t think there is one to be found quite honestly. I think they’ve all sold out. The Democratic Party that I grew up with is no more.
I find it very interesting that Bartlett revealed that a gag order had been put on all the fellow travelers at AEI to not talk about UHC because they all agreed with what Obama was doing so much.
Is that why the MSM has spent no time informing the citzenery that Obama(through Baucus) basically dusted off a Republican plan that came from The Heritage Foundation (I believe?).
Yes, interesting.
There is real anger at both sides in this country. I have never seen it like this before. Both sides are going after eachother especially on the right. I am a independent and I don’t want either party to have a majority in congress. Its dangerous to have a one-party system. I wish the republicans would open up to more people because people such as myself would love liberal to moderate rupublicans to vote for such as people like Maine senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snow. I am so scared about whats going on. I think talk radio and tv news 24 hours a day is going to bite us in the butt big time. I quit watching both Glenn Beck and Ed Shultz because both are so over the top. Who do you vote for ? It seems your dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t. Americans going against Americans. We are basicly living in two Americas right now. I was listening to the president on tv when he is in Iowa City. He can give a great speech but he was mocking the republicans when he said the republicans mentioned about the healthcare bill was Armageddon. Its ok to be thrilled that healthcare bill passed, its not ok to mock and make fun of people especially when congress people on both sides,but mostly on the left are getting threats on a daily basis. I am seeing this country come apart at the seems !! As much as some people don’t like it, Sarah Palin is a political rockstar !! She was all over the news today when her and John Mccain are together again in Arizona. I want a check and balance government not one party majority. I hope for the best, but fearing the worst.
Nice piece Taylor, and I totally agree that the conservative message has been completely dumbed down.
I watched O’Reilly last night, and it was hard to even get through. His tag team with Laura Ingram was unbearable. Their barrage of unsubstantiated assertions would be laughable if it wasn’t so dangerous. The problem is that while they don’t engage in any real conversation on substantive topics, they have the pseudo-patriotic, anti-government rap down pat, and the crazies are eating it up.
Did you catch Palin’s, “Castro likes Obamacare” thing today? It never ends! It’s a constant emotional appeal to people’s fight or flight senses.
BTW, on O’Reilly’s show, Beck prognosticated that the Dems will turn to immigration next. I’m guessing they’ll keep that on at least a 10ft. pole until after November. What do you think?
Heya DP. I’ve seen O’Reilly & Ingraham go at it before. It’s a fright! Didn’t catch Palin’s Castro – Obama routine. I can imagine.
I think Dems know they’re going to have to sell the health care. Too many are confused, with the GOP coming up with “repeal and reform.” Rep. are running against it, so they’re forcing Dems to defend it aggressively.
Just don’t see immigration as being a front-burner issue right now, though many are pushing for action.
Dave Paulson – I really think immigration will be the next big topic. I am not looking forward to that with the way things are now, its bound to be another dangerous topic. Thats going to rile up both sides and we don’t need it right now.
I hate when people make fun of other people calling them dumb and stupid and un-educated. I just think its rude and it fuels the flames. People on both sides need to stop the name calling.
“Today, Palin returns the favor as she campaigns for McCain in Arizona where he faces a Republican primary against former congressman J.D. Hayworth. McCain is seeking re-election to a fifth U.S. Senate term” Right if we believe this hot cup of steamy ____ fill in the blank. But for the good times… John McInPain sarah-nades his beloved exotic instant karma tea partier temptress and oldie but a really good little ditty.
From John to Sarah…
Go now,
Don’t look back we’ve drawn the line,
move on,
Its no good to go back in time,
I’ll never find another girl like you,
for happy endings it takes two
with fire and ice, a dream won’t come true.
(Chorus)
Sarah, Sarah
storms are brewing in your eyes,
Sarah, Sarah
no time is a good time for goodbyes
Danger,
in the game when the stakes are high,
branded,
my heart was branded while my senses stood by,
I’ll never find another girl like you,
for happy endings it takes two,
with fire and ice, a dream won’t come true.
(Chorus)
Sarah, Sarah
storms are brewing in your eyes
Sarah, Sarah
no time is a good time for goodbyes
Hey, Sarah,
Love me like no one has ever loved me before,
hey, Sarah,
hurt me no one could ever hurt me more.
Hey, Sarah,
Sarah,
Hey, Sarah
the way you loved me before
Instrumental
I’ll never find a girl like you,
with fire and ice, a dream won’t come true
Chorus
Sarah, Sarah
no time is a good time for
Sarah, Sarah
storms are brewing in your eyes
Sarah, Sarah
no time is good time for goodbyes
Sarah, Sarah
storms are brewing in your eyes
Sarah, Sarah
no time is a good time
no-oh-oh-oh-oh
oh-Sarah
why did it, why did it,
why did it all fall apart?
(Jefferson Starship).
Wow. Just… Wow.
taylor,
What is with all the talk of Palin? Do you see her as a threat? I personally am kind of tired of hearing about her. Yes, she has a following but so do a lot of other people. I think her future is on the lecture circuit making money but not in politics.
Sarah Palin just made a trip to Arizona to try to bolster John McCain’s Senate seat.
Get it now?
Yeah, I loved the S&M/B&D look in leather. Suited her donchathink?
Fairminded,
If the Dems let themselves get sucked into the immigration debate, then I’m sorry but they are stupid. The right would love nothing better. Financial reform is the best track for the Dems. Everybody hates the banks right now.
Just my $0.02
Ga6thDem – Sarah Palin is going to be around for awhile whether some people like it or not. Taylor has always been fair to people and that why I like coming on her board. Sarah Palin along with John Mccain won I think over 59 million voters and Sarah Palin is getting her own tv show and she is still on the list of possible presidental candidates. Until she decides to run or not people are going to talk about her. We can’t always talk about president Obama or the democrats. We need other topics of conversation.
Sarah Palin is going to be around for awhile whether some people like it or not.
Boy, that’s for sure.
LOL !!
So will siphillis. Your point being?
rep grayson’s 5 yr old picks up speaker phone call and lady starts screaming Im gonna kill your daddy. grayson spoek about it tonight. palin was in fl also praising the patriots for taking grayson on or something. grayson also is calling for cantor to resign. we cant even get a joint statement from gop with dnc condemning all this crap.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/3/27/851384/-Graysons-Family-Gets-Death-ThreatsHe-Asks-Cantor-to-Resign!
Alot of democrats and some republicans said the samething is happened to them. Were entering dangerous territory. I never seen it this bad before. Former Gov Sarah Palin and Congressman Alan Grayson do not get along at all. Both have called eachother names and I guess thats the mood in the country right now. The democrats say that the republicans are not doing much to calm down people and the republicans said the democrats are fueling the flames !! This is getting bad !!
“we cant even get a joint statement from gop with dnc condemning all this crap.”
Of course not. The gop/teabaggers are using this EXACTLY the same way the whole bogus town meetings campaign was done. Remember when crowds of enraged NONconstituants stacked crowds at “town meetings” to just scream disconnected from reality vitriol at Dems trying to inform their districts about HRC?
It gets bad when one party uses intimidation and threats of violence as standard opperating tools to try to accomplish what they couldn’t at the ballot box.
There simply IS no parralel episode in American politic for at LEAST the last 100 years.
Then you have schmucks who try to equate the two parties actions.
Either they are part of the whole campaign or they are dumber then a box of hammers.
The Federal and local law enforcement agencies should start doing their jobs and arresting those inciting violence or perpitrating intimadation.
If Obama made a federal move right now to quell the violence there would be a full out rebellion.That is what the ones who want violence are waiting for…meanwhile jobs are shipped off shore,banks are right back to their dirty tricks and the insurance industry and big pharma are licking their chops.
“If Obama made a federal move right now to quell the violence there would be a full out rebellion.”
REALLY? So your advise is because these mutants threaten and commit violence and politicol intimidation we shouldn’t enforce the laws on them because it will incite them to commit violence and politicol intimidation?
MAN we really screwed up and did the WRONG thing with that Civil War thingy didn’t we!!!?
Funny, the same states that are the biggest hotbeds of this criminal/treasonis behavior are the same ones we had to squash like the mutant bugs they were during that little brew up weren’t they?
BOOK ‘EM DANO!!
Hi Taylor
Somebody please tell me what is going on in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio with the FBI raiding a Christian (?) militia compound. The FBI is saying nothing at this point but this does not sound good. I just hope it isn’t the beginning of something bad. Maybe I’m becoming paranoid.
http://tinyurl.com/ybslpf2